Panic Attack Treatments To Keep You Stress-Free And Smiling Always!

Minutes before you’re due to give a crucial interview, you find yourself going blank. The world starts to spin around you, you start sweating profusely and you feel unable to control your shivering. You’re gripped by tremendous fear and begin to lose control of yourself. Panic attacks, an outcome of the exceedingly stressful and challenging lifestyles we lead, are uncontrollable and dreadful occurrences. Cognitive behavioural therapy, yoga and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are all extremely useful and effective panic attack treatments, and these, along with other techniques can help do away with anxiety completely.

Natural ways to cure panic are more often recommended and preferred to the various forms of medication and drugs available. Of these, yoga is known to be of tremendous help. Even though there are specially designed yoga courses and techniques to help one deal with panic disorder, practicing general yoga regularly is certainly helpful in relieving stress. Yogic breathing, which is calm and relaxed, puts one at ease because it is one’s breathing that controls the nervous system. This implies that by controlling your breathing, you can control your reactions to panic-causing stimuli and thus, effectively do away with undue stress.

One of the preferred and well known anxiety attack treatments is psychotherapy. Therapists mostly recommend and use a form of therapy known as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to treat panic attacks. This typically involves a dialogue with the patient, through which he reveals, with the aid of the therapist, the underlying causes of his anxiety. Positive attitudinal changes are then taught to the patient, and he gradually learns to approach things with a constructive and optimistic manner. Psychotherapy demands patience, as the healing process may take a while, ranging from a few weeks to several months before one notices improvements.

Before you go in for any medication for panic disorder, seeking medical advice is a must. Panic disorder may sometimes even be related to depression. Once you have a clear picture of the kind of problem you’re facing, suitable medication may be sought. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SSRIs are most commonly prescribed for anxiety disorder. These include drugs such as fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, etc., meant to be taken once daily. These, again, require a few weeks’ time, usually 3 to 6, before they start showing signs of improvement.

Other forms of medical treatment include the use of Benzodiazpines and Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), although these are less preferred. Clonazepam, alprazolam and diazepam, belonging to the former category, are known to be effective in relieving symptoms of panic attacks by up to 70-75%, while TCAs such as phenelzine are less commonly used. Both these, however, have harmful side-effects such as excessive dependence, memory loss and, in some cases, even cancer.

Having discussed some of the major panic attack treatments, one can safely say that natural cures are strongly recommended over medicinal treatments for the following reasons:

•    Drugs mostly suppress the symptoms of panic attacks and do not always cure them in the long term. Yoga and therapy, on the other hand, not only cure anxiety completely and for good, but also lead to a wholly cherishing life.

•    Natural anxiety attack treatments do not carry side effects of any kind. Medication for panic disorder, in the form of TCAs especially, is known to have serious side effects including cancer and diabetes.

•    Natural cures are not addictive and do not lead to dependence. Further, they also ensure that the symptoms do not return once the treatment is stopped.

The popular adage ‘prevention is better than cure’ holds true for almost every form of illness, panic disorder included. Small steps, taken at the right time, can greatly help in keeping stress away at all times. Diligent planning and time management hold they key to efficiency in all that one does, and prevent last minute panic and anxiety due to failure. A wholesome and balanced diet, including lots of vegetables, fresh fruits and whole grain foods, along with proper sleep would also be of immense help in keeping you relaxed and panic-free.

Caffeine and alcohol must be avoided at all costs, and smoking is another definite no-no. Certain vitamins and minerals help prevent stress to some extent and these could be taken. Meditation and deep breathing are proven techniques that reduce anxiety to a great extent. Pursuit of relaxing hobbies and laughter therapy are some of the other ways, popularly practiced as anxiety attack treatments.